SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air Review

A few months ago I went on a search for a good pair of wireless headphones. My in-ear headphones had just broke and I needed something to replace them ASAP.

So instead of settling on another cheap pair, I decided to spend a little money and get something better quality and that was wireless.

After sifting through many different headphones for a couple weeks, I decided on the SOL Republic Tracks Air Wireless Headphones.

I never heard of the company SOL Republic before, but based on the reviews these Bluetooth headphones received I decided it was worth a shot. Plus, on paper it fit all the criteria I was looking for.

The most important criteria to me, was the following;

Great Sound Quality

Good Battery Life

Withstand High Intensity Workouts

Durable

I’ll break down each of those four areas and how the SOL Republic wireless headphones fared.

About six months ago I bought these Bluetooth headphones off Amazon. Instead of buying brand new I went for used, but in “like new” condition from “Amazon Warehouse Deals”.

Sadly, it didn’t turn out so well.

After receiving them, I tried powering them on… nothing happened. I thought maybe it needed to be charged, so I plugged them in for a couple hours and tried them again. Again nothing happened, they wouldn’t turn on.

At first I thought that it might be the power cord (wishful thinking), so I tried a different one that I had lying around. That still didn’t work.

It must’ve received at least a little power, since every time I plugged the headphones in they would faintly flash an amber color, but never turn green which is what should happen when they’re fully charged. After letting them sit “charging” the whole night without success, I realized they were defective and sent them back.

This time I bought a brand new pair and have had no problems.

Tracks Air Sound Quality

I love high quality sound, but I know I’m not as obsessive as some audiophiles out there. The SOL Republic Tracks Air headphones have good sound in my opinion. Not the best pair I’ve ever listened too, but still very good especially when you consider you’re listening to them wirelessly through Bluetooth.

They aren’t noise cancelling, which is a drawback. If the background noise around you is loud then you’re going to keep upping the volume on these.

These headphones have a built-in microphone which allows you to use them for wireless phone calls, Skype, dictation software like “Dragon Naturally Speaking”… that sort of thing. The problem is it’s not very good.

To me the built-in microphone came as a bonus. So having crisp microphone sound quality wasn’t important since I would’ve gotten these with or without the microphone.

The problem is that this microphone will pick up everything around you. It’s almost impressive. 🙂 Shortly after getting these I was listening to music on my OnePlus One and got a call, I decided to answer it through the Tracks Air headphones.

The call quality was very clear on my end… I just assumed it was the same for the other person. It was clear alright, so clear that they could hear all the background noise around me… it was to the point where he could tell me what a couple people were saying about 20 feet away.

So if you’re going to have a conversation with someone while using these, make sure it’s in a quiet place.

Audio Sound Quality:A-
Microphone Sound Quality: C

Tracks Air Battery Life

The Tracks Air wireless headphones are said to have a battery life of around 15 hours. That right there was a huge factor in why I bought these. What’s the point in having wireless Bluetooth headphones when the battery life is so pathetic that you have to plug them in after a 2-3 hours?

The Tracks Air headphones came with a charge. I can’t remember exactly how much of an initial charge they had, but I know it was a few hours worth. I remember thinking it was pretty impressive.

A voice when you first start up the headphones will tell you how much estimated battery life you have left. Which is convenient especially when you are on the go and don’t want to risk them dying on you.

After charging them, I realized they weren’t lying about the battery life expectancy. It really is around 13-15 hours on a single charge! The great thing is even when these headphones are completely dead you can charge them through your computer in roughly 1 to 1.5 hours… not bad considering how long you can go in-between charges.

I’ve owned these SOL Republic headphones for over 6 months and use them probably 4-5 times a week and still notice no decrease in battery life!

Battery Life: A+

Tracks Air Work Out

I figured these would be fine for lifting weights and doing some machine work… and they are; but my real question was how they’d handle jogging / sprinting.

A couple days after getting these I put them to the test. I jogged for 4 miles as well as sprinted for some of it. With the adjustable headband, it’ll fit pretty much anybody’s head. After some tweaking of the headband I had no issues with them falling off on my long run.

The Bluetooth stayed connected the whole time without dropping or skipping at any point.

I’ve went on quite a few long runs with these and haven’t had any problems to this day. The only issue I have with working out in these is after a couple hours of wearing them they get a little uncomfortable.

Solution to that is to take them off for 10-15 min and you should be good to go for another long stretch.

Working Out w/ Tracks Air:B+

Tracks Air Durability

These headphones work exactly like the day I got them. They are built well and can can handle whatever you can throw at it.

Even though these headphones work as well as day 1, the headband is getting slightly discolored. I have the all white set (as pictured). It doesn’t bother me at this point because it’s not too noticeable. I know that’s not really a durability issue, but I thought I’d mention it.

The great thing about these is if I get too bothered by it I can always buy a new headband in any color I choose off Amazon or the SOL Republic site.

The Tracks Air sound engine speakers slide right off and are interchangeable with other SOL Republic Tracks Air headbands.

Durability:A

Final Thoughts

The SOL Republic Tracks Air Bluetooth wireless headphones has been a great buy for a number of reasons. The positives far outweigh the negatives.

The Positives:

Battery life is incredible. 13-15 hours on a full charge.

Sound quality is very good.

Durable and able to withstand intense workouts.

Great value for the money compared to others.

Able to swap out different color headbands to match your style.

Charges fast even when fully drained. 1 1/2 hours or less to fully charge.

Bluetooth connection range is impressive. Around 150 feet.

Able to connect to multiple Bluetooth devices at the same time.

The Negatives:

Microphone quality isn’t very good.

White headband can start to discolor with long-term use.

Can get uncomfortable when wearing for long periods of time.

Overall these are by far the best headphones I’ve ever owned. I highly recommend them.

REVIEW OVERVIEW

Overall

9.3

SUMMARY

I highly recommend the SOL Republic Tracks Air wireless Bluetooth headphones. The battery life and wireless range are incredible... and the sound is great as well. It would be hard not to love these.